telling our story

I tried scrapbooking back in the day, but it did not really work out for me... recently I have been re-inspired to try again, only with a different approach. Instead of cutesy layouts for all our pictures, I want to do something that tells our story, really many stories, because our lives are filled with so many wonderful stories that I want to be able to pass down to my children and their children. I stumbled across Ali Edward's Blog awhile back and really liked her stuff, so much so that I ordered her book, Life Artist. That, in and of it self was big... I mean, I don't scrap book, why would I order a book about scrapbooking? Anyway, long story short, the book was great and was the last push that I needed to get me to try it again, only different.

Here is what I've got, so far.

One of the things Ali talks about in the book is doing a "Week in the Life of..." album, to document everyday life in your home. Right now she is doing one of these albums and walking her readers through the process on her blog. I have been playing along a bit, check out her blog and join in if you feel inspired!

celebrate!

I have been a bit of a delinquent recently. I seem to have neglected my responsibilities all for the sake of creating. It is Sunday night, nearing 11:00pm, and instead of getting ready for bed, I am here, posting pictures of my just completed "celebrate" banner. I have not folded the laundry I washed two days ago, I have not looked at my lesson plans for the week... if it were not for my ever-patient and helpful husband, my kids might still be running around the house and the dished (from yesterday) would probably still be piled in the sink. I crossed three things off of my project list this weekend though (Awana bags, a scrapbooking idea I have been wanting to try and this banner)! So now it is time to.... celebrate!
I have had the idea for this banner in my mind for awhile now, but it was this fabric that actually set the project in motion. It is just so cute! I can't wait to find another use for the scraps I have left over.

Oh, and it is double sided, so If I wanted to hang it without words, I can just turn it around and just have the colorful flags! I was thinking about putting it on Etsy, but I am not sure I can part with it...

don't hate me...

I love my wedding dress. It makes me sad that it had one glorious day and now is destined to spend the rest of it's life shoved into a box under a bed. I remember, about a year after we got married, some friends (who were also married the same year as me and Phil) had a wedding dress party. They all got dressed up in their wedding dresses and went to Georgetown for the night!
Oh how I wanted to be apart of that night, but instead I was home, in my first trimester of pregnancy with Regan and puking. I tried to go, even go the dress out of the box... I couldn't get it it zipped all the way, but that wasn't going to stop me... eventually, it was the morning (or in this case evening) sickness that got me. I put the dress back in the box, and have since fantasized about putting it on again, but never dared to try... Until today, and guess what?

It fits!

You see, in the 4 1/2 months that we were engaged, I gained 20 pounds. Call it stress, call it excitement, the reality is, I am an emotional eater. And because of that, I can fit into my wedding dress today! Can't say my seamstress was too excited about that 20 pounds when I went in for my final fitting, lol! Anyway, 8 1/2 years and four kids later, 20 pounds or not, I am feeling pretty good!


I am starting to pull out some fall decorations. I made this banner last year. Saw something like it in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog and had to make my own. I think I am seeing a pattern here. Anyway, I love how it turned out and was happy to be able to pull it out and hang it again this year! I am working on another garland/bunting right now. Have been thinking about it for awhile and fell in love with some fat quarters at the fabric store recently. Pictures coming soon!
Regan, my budding photographer, took this picture the other day. I see the resemblance between Lulu and me when I look at my childhood pictures, but I think this was the first time I looked at a current picture of the two of us and thought, wow, we really look alike!

signs of a good day of crafting :)

Fall is here (although today felt more like summer) and we needed a good harvest-time craft to do. I had seen these Scarecrows on Nina Makes awhile back and was saving them for fall. I was reminded of them today when they were featured on the Crafty Crow, so I pulled out the template and old cereal boxes I had been saving and we went to work.There is something so liberating about making a big creative mess!
As I matter of fact, the kids were having such a good time, I had to join in and make on too!

rainy day

I love a rainy day. Me and a hot cup of tea looking out into the wet world.

It doesn't get much better than this, Dark chocolate and a good sewing project.

My little helper.

The kids started going to Awana at a church down the road from us. So far they are loving it. I forked out the $50+ for the books and vests, but I drew the line at the Awana bags. Besides, I always love an excuse to do something creative :) I pulled out some fabric yesterday afternoon, after we had finished school, and the kids picked out what they wanted and I got busy sewing.

The bags are reversible, this was actually the lining, but Regan liked it best.

We had bible study here last night, so I did not get the boys bags finished. I still need to sew the handles on, but all in all, I was a satisfying project. If feels good to be creating, I need to be making time for it more regularly.

jumping!

I finally finished the Hobby Horses! And just in time for our first horse race... but first a bit about the horses. They each have different markings, representing the four main types of marks. From left to right, you have Strip, Star, Blaze and Snip. Tallulah horse is the one with the snip and she has named him Bono after our friends Great Dane, she also says it is a dog, not a horse :)

Today's race course is not just any race course, but a jumping course!

The kids had a great time setting up their course, here is Regan helping Tallulah to set up a fence (that is what the jumps are called).

On your marks, get set...

GO!!!!

I love this in-air shot of Regan!

Even Lulu ran the race pretty well.

Really, can school get any better than this? We love Konos!

revealing

There has been a lot of talk in blogland about revealing our faces. Since I am the camera woman in our home, I don't really have any pictures of myself. I took this self portrait last night while we watched the kids do a "Rock Out Show" for us.
These pictures of Regan were too good not to post! She will love me for this when she is older!
Despite the silly faces, she actually was singing a song that she had made up. She is quite the entertainer!

Micah's version of a performance is banging on the drum and screaming. It is amazing what a 5 year old finds funny :)

This picture what actually taken today. Tallulah is wearing one of my ballet costumes from when I was little. Don'cha love that smile?

home made

Grandpa and Grandma Bev brought down this great kitchen for the kids last weekend. Look familiar? I sent them pictures of the Pottery Barn Kids play kitchen and my own measurements (the PB one is a bit smaller) and Grandpa whipped this up in two days from some leftover plywood in his garage! It still needs some finishing touches, like a faucet for the sink and burners for the stove, but the kids love it!

And...

Here is my first Hobby Horse!

I am so pleased with how this one turned out! I can't wait to see them all completed (the kids can't wait either)!

sick day

We are having a bit of a sick day here. Regan has a cough and did not sleep very well last night, so we just did out 3 R's this morning and then I let them choose what they wanted to do. At the homeschool convention, I bought myself a coloring book (yes, you read that right, I bought myself a coloring book, even at 32, I still like to color!) and Regan has been begging me to color a picture in it, so I let her pick one out to color today.

I gave Tallulah a picture to color, but she would rather peel the paper off the crayons!

Micah is happily coloring away in his Veggie Tales coloring book, turning everyone into pirates!

There was more to my post, but I seem to be in a fight with Blogger right now, it will not let me put my pictures and text where I want them. I will have to post the other pictures later!

new gadgets

I just added the new "Follow this Blog" gadget to my sidebar! Please add yourself so I can see the smiling faces of everyone who reads my blog! Can't wait to see you beautiful faces on my sidebar :)

i think we're in love!

Grandpa and Grandma Bev came down to visit this weekend and got to go with us when we went horseback ridding. It was love at first sight for Tallulah!

This is Lady Destiny. She is a Leopard Appaloosa.

Ms Millie was wonderful and spent almost 2 hours with Regan and Micah teaching them all about horse care and riding and answering all their questions.

Turns out Charlotte lives at this stable. It almost looks like she is spinning words in the web too!

Micah, leading his horse out of the stable to ride. Doesn't he look so tiny!

My big boy, riding a horse! Millie said Micah was a natural.

Regan loved riding Destiny.

Max wanted to try on the helmet, but wasn't interested in sitting on the horse. He was too young to ride, but had fun watching.

Tallulah on the other hand was begging to ride the horse, and every time I walked away from the horses she would yell "horsey, horsey, horsey!"

Don't you just love that face!

a pleasant surprise

Tuesday's we usually do Art and Konos and have a day off from math and reading. Today, we had art covered with our craft project we are working on and for Konos, we read about Blacksmiths and had a failed attempt at making a bellows... great idea, poor engineering skills on my part! Anyway, when we had finished up all our school for the day The kids started begging me to let them do their reading and math on the computer!It might be that they just wanted to use their new headphone, but I think they are actually enjoying their online curriculum!

Max couldn't be left out from doing school, so we spent some time making letters with our HWT blocks.

Here is another peak at our big project this week. This is Star, or at least that is what her marking is. Yes, Leslie, they are horses... Hobby Horses for our Rodeo next week!